William went to school at #7 Hibbert Twp but by the time he was
ready for high school, the family was living on the Mill Road
so he walked into Seaforth. He was known as "Whitey"
to his classmates and as well as being a very bright student,
he participated in more extra curricular activities than any of
the others. As his mother said, he was into everything. Even at
this stage in his life he was an organizer, arranging student
activities in sports and social affairs. Among his studies, mathematics
was his favorite subject. He gave his most conscientious efforts
to all subjects and activities.

He graduated from Seaforth High School in 1898 and spent one
year at the Chatham Business College from which he received a
Commercial Specialist Certificate in 1897. William then went to
Normal School and his first school as a teacher was at #7 Morris
Twp, a small rural school near Wingham, ON. Then in 1901 he joined
the staff at Central Public School at Brantford with a salary
of $600. a year.

We must not forget to mention William's intense interest in Bible
study. Even during high school and his early teaching years, he
joined Bible classes and organized classes for the school staff
and for the local church. He even considered entering the ministry
of the Presbyterian Church. However this would require four years
of study and financing by the church and the latter became a problem.
The church was hesitant to finance a candidate with a wife and
two children.

In 1905 he became principal of Brantford Central Public School
and in 1907 he enrolled with Queen's University for extra mural
studies leading to his B.A. degree. All the while he kept up his
Bible classes and even offered his services as a lay preacher.

In 1910, he and his family moved to Calgary, Alberta where he
became the principal of Alexandra School. From 1915-1935 he was
a high school principal. He founded the Calgary Prophetic Bible
Conference in 1918 to promote Bible study and conducted weekly
radio broadcasts beginning in 1925. By 1939 over 9000 children
across the prairies, were enrolled in his Radio Sunday School.
He became known to everyone as "Bible Bill".

When the Great Depression hit he turned his time to political
efforts to help the farmers of the west. In 1932 he became interested
in the Social Credit movement and promoted its doctrines in his
broadcasts. Because he was convinced of a need for monetary reform,
he organized the Social Credit Party in 1935. That same year his
party won the election with a landslide. "Bible Bill"
was now the Premier of Alberta and remained in that office until
his death in 1943.

William was a tireless worker and he combined his phenomenal
energy with systematic efficiency, rare talents in oratory, a
remarkable abiliy to gauge public opinion and great compassion
for his fellowman. During the 1943 Session which ran from Jan.
17 to Apr. 7, Aberhart as Premier, Minister of Education, Attorney
General and leader of the Government was always faithfully at
his desk. He also found time to write and deliver his weekly broadcasts
to the nation on post-war reconstruction. He was National President
of the Democractic Monetary Reform Organization. He was Dean of
the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute and spent every second Sunday
afternoon broadcasting from its pulpit.

By the end of this Session in April, he was for the first time
exhausted. His wife insisted they go to Vancouver to their daughter,
Khona's home where he could rest. After being seen by a physician
and consultations with other doctors, it was discovered that he
had a disease of the liver. He went into Vancouver General Hospital
on April 18 for treatment. This was the first time that he had
been in a hospital as a patient and the first period of idleness
since childhood. He was allowed to return to his daughter's home
under the care of a nurse but his condition deteriorated. He returned
to the hospital in May and died on May 23, 1943 at the age of
64. Aberhart was the seventh Premier of Alberta and the first
to die in office. It was a great shock to the province and also
the whole country. His funeral service was at the Canadian Memorial
Church in Vancouver and he was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial
Park in suburban Burnaby, BC.

Most of the information on William Aberhart was obtained from
a book entitled "Aberhart of Alberta" written by L.P.V.
Johnson and William's daughter, Ola MacNutt.